Stigmella obliquella (von Heinemann, 1862)

willow pigmy

Salix spec., Belgium, prov. Hainaut, Evregnies, 1.vii.2018 © Stéphane Claerebout

detail, with exit slit

underside

in backlight

mine

Egg at the upper- or underside of the leaf, usually close to the midrib or leaf margin. The mine is a somewhat widening corridor. Its course is variable, but generally it contains several long, more or less straight, segments. The black frass almost fills the first half of the corridor. Later the frass line becomes relatively narrower, and is more often interrupted. Pupation external, exit slit in the upper epidermis.

host plants

Salicaceae, monophagous

Salix alba, babylonica, x chrysocoma, x fragilis, pentandra, triandra, viminalis.

In the older literature (Sønderup, 1949a; Hering, 1957a) also Myrica gale is mentioned sometimes, but this probably stems from confusion with St. salicis.

phenology

Larvae in June – July and again September – October (Emmet, 1983a).

BENELUX

BE recorded (Phegea, 2009).

NE recorded (Kuchlein & de Vos, 1999a; Microlepidoptera.nl, 2009).

LUX not recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2009).

distribution within Europe

Europe, except the Balkan Peninsula (Fauna Europaea, 2009).

larva

Yellow (Gustafsson & van Nieukerken, 1990a).

synonyms

Nepticula obliquella; N. wockeella von Heinemann, 1871; M. diversa Glitz, 1892; Stigmella babylonica Hartig, 1949.

notes

In case the egg is on the underside of the leaf, there is a possibility of confusion with St. salicis!

references

Baldizzone (2004a), Beiger (1979a), Bengtsson (2008a), Borkowski (1969a), Buhr (1937a), Buszko & Baraniak (1989a), J Černý (2001a), Diškus & Stonis (2012a), Emmet (1971a, 1983a), Gustafsson (1985a), Gustafsson & van Nieukerken (1990a), Haase (1942a), Hartig (1949a), Hering (1957a), Huber (1969a), Johansson ao (1990a), Klimesch (1950c), Kuchlein & Donner (1993a), Kuchlein & de Vos (1999a), Kurz (2016a), A & Z Laštuvka (1997a), Lhomme (1934d), Maček (1999a), Navickaitė, Diškus & Stonis (2014), van Nieukerken (1986a, 2006a), van Nieukerken, A & Z Laštuvka (2004a, 2006a), van Nieukerken, Mutanen & Doorenweerd (2012a), van Nieukerken, Zolotuhin & Mistchenko (2004a), De Prins (1998a), De Prins & Steeman (2011a), Robbins (1991a), Schütze (1931a), Sefrová (2005a), Skala (1939a), Skala & Zavřel (1945a), Sønderup (1949a), Steuer (1995a), Szőcs (1977a, 1978a, 1981a), Yefremova & Kravchenko (2015a), Zoerner (1969a).